Whiffletree.



B. F. CUMMINGS.

WHIFPLETREE APPLICATION FILED FEB.26.1913

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEEP 1 mu/known B. F. CUMMINGS.

WHIFFLBTREE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

auuemloz @ENJAP'HN F. CUMMHgS 2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

Quinn,

Wilmeooao @MM co. lfi

to s ren s'rA' rEs PATENT OFFICE...

BENJAMIN F. CULIMINGS, OF DRYDEN, OKLAHOMA.

HIFFLETBEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Appiication'filed February 26, 1913. Serial No. 7503341.

To all (chm-nit may con 7%.

Be it known that I, f nxJAiun F. CUM- MINGS, a citizen of the United States, residin at Dryden, in the county of Harmon and State Olclahonm, have invented oer-L tam n v and useful ilnproven'ients 'in W'hilllei of which the iollowing 1s a An -lh-i-r obje 'zt. of t inventionie the; provis of; i-vh'illletrce which is provided will; u rod. lhe traccs of the harness being seen ed to the opposite ends of the truss me so that-the strain will be distributed the entirclc'ngth of the Whiill'etree.

Still another object of this invention is the provision oftl e \v'hil'lletree comprising h draft bar, the bur having a centralbridge i-wcnrcdthcreto and crips mounted on its 0pposite end, each of the capsbeing formed of a stationary member and an outwardly movable member, a truss'rod having its intermediate portion engaged with said bridge,

and its opp: ite ends connected to the movable members of the c;-1p.s,' xvhere'by the shock .1 usually mposed.centrally upon the draft bar will be." di. r'l'bnted longitudinally tl'iereof. D i

A still'fu'rthcroo' iect of this invention is the provision of "whiflietree comprisinga draft bar. theba hi1 a 'central' bridge secured thereto niid"chpsfiironnted onQits opposite ends nnd :1 truss rod having its in tcrmedia'te'portion'engaged with said bridge, the cupsbcmgfformed of a stationary mam bmand'a movable. member, the opposite -cnds of thetruss rod being connected to the movable members of the caps and the traces of the harness being also connected tothe movable members oft-he caps, whereby the strain ordinarily imposed upon the central portion of the 'lrafibar will be equally distributed throughout its entire length.

l'Vith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel constructions and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my device used is provided with 'slidably mounted as a four horse evener. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of one end of the draft bar. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of'my device used as a doubletree. Fig. 4- is an edge view of the bridge piece or spacing truss rod from the bur;v Fig. 5 is an elevation of the central sleeve. Fig. (3 is a longitudinal section of the central sleeve. Fig. 7 is an edge View of the stationary section oi the cap] Fig. 8 is 3 sid view partly in section thereof. Fig. 9 is an end view thereof. Fig. 10 is a top plan view partly in section showing the sections of the cap connected. Fig. 11 is an end view of the movable section of the cap.

Referring more particularly to the drawl designates the draft bar and 2 a sleeve whichis on said her and which is held in an adjusted position by a set screw The sleeve is formed with a reduced holhm' extension 4. in the end of which is a ings, the numeral of he equalizer,

swivelly mounted book 5, which is nda pteil for engagement with eportion-ofv the run ning gear of a wagon. The opposite end. of the sleeve is formed with-a rib 6 WlllCll is provided with an opening 7 whereby a clevis pin 8may be passed through the opening to secure the draft bar to the vehicle. Secured in the reduced portion of the sleeve is a bridge-member 9-which is adapted to'support the intermediate portion of t-hetruss rod 10 in spaced relation with the bar, the opposite ends of the trnss rod being adapted for engagement with the caps ll which are mounted on the reduced ends 12 of the bar 1. Each of the caps 11 is formed of a statrom nrysectlon 13, and a movable section 14, the

I stationary section being formed on one end with zi socket 15 for engagement with thereduced end 12 of thebar. Theopposite end of the stationary sectio is formed with a pair of spaced ribs 16, the upper ends of which are enlarged to form longitudinally extending curved locking tOng-uesl? which are adapted for engagement in spaced nrcnate recesses 18 formed in the opposed end of the movable section 14 of the cap. The Wall 19 which spaces the recesses 18 of the movable member is adapted to engage in the recess 20 formed by the ribs 11'? in the stationary member thereby preventing relative lateral movement of the sections of the cap. The curved end willls 21, of the recesses 18 are enlarged and cam-shaped, as at 22, at one end, the cum-shaped portions of the Walls resting againstthe ribs 16 under the. tongue Pate1ited0ct.21,1913.

. evener, and one of the horses 17 of the stationary members, whereby the movable sections are adapted for outward movement with relation to the stationary sections of the caps. The movable section of each cap is formed with an outwardly facing hook 23 in which the looped ends 24 of the truss rod 10 are adapted to engage, the truss rod being adapted to maintain the movable sections of the caps in their inner positions. Each of the movable sections 14 is provided at its forward end with an opening 25 in which a hook 26 is loosely mounted, the hooks being adapted for engagement with the traces of the harness when the device is used as a swingletree or doubletree.

In the drawings I illustrate a four horse wluflletree, and in this construction the hooks 26 are connected to the hooks 5 of the sleeves 2 of the doubletrees 27, the caps on the opposite end of the doubletree' 27 being connected to the central sleeve of the swingletrees 28. It Will be seen in the drawings, that the swingletrees 28 are connected to the doubletrees 27 by caps and sleeves of the same construction as those shown connected to the bar 1, and if desired the doubletrees 27 and the 'swingletrees 28 may be removed from the bar 1, so that the device may be used as a one horse or a two horse whithetree. If the device is used as a four horse attached to the swingletrees 28 of the doubletrees 27 is stronger than the other horse attached to the doubletree, it will be only necessary to loosen the set screw sleeve so that the sleeve may be adjusted the direction desired to give the weaker horse greater leverage than the stronger horse, and thereby equalize the load.

Having thus described my invention, what- I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device' of the character described comprising a bar, caps consisting of ast-ationary section and a relatively movable section mounted upon the ends of said bar, said stationary section of each cap being formed with spaced locking tongues and the movable section of each cap being formed with recesses for the reception of said tongues, and a truss ,ibd having its opposite/ends connected to the movable sections Otf said caps, as and fot the purpose described.

2. A whiflletree comprising'a bar, a sleeve 3 in its opening in the slidably mounted on said bar, said sleeve having a reduced hollow extension, a bridge piece mounted upon said bar within said ,extension, caps mounted upon the opposite ends of said bar, said caps comprising a stationarysection and a relatively movable section, and a truss rod having its opposite ends connected to the movable sections of the caps, the intermediate portion of said truss rod bearing against the outer face of said bridge piece within the reduced hollow ex tension of said sleeve, as and for the purpose described.

3. A device of the character described comprising a bar, a sleeve slidably mounted on said bar, said sleeve having a reduced hollow extension, a bridge piece connected to said extension, caps mounted upon the opposite ends of said bar, and-a truss rod having its opposite ends connected to said caps and its intermediate portion bearing against said bridge, whereby said truss rod is maintained in spaced relation with said bar, as and for the purpose described.

4. A whifiletree comprising a bar, a sleeve slidably mounted on said bar, a bridge piece connected to said sleeve, the opposite ends of said bar being formed with reduced eX- tensions, sectional caps mounted on said re duced extensions, one section of each of said caps being formed with a hook, and a truss rod having its opposite ends connected to said hooks, and its intermediate portion en gaged with said bridge piece, as and for the purpose described.

5. A device of the character described ary section and a movable section mounted upon the ends of said bar, said stationary section of each cap being formed with spaced locking tongues and the movable section of each cap being formed with recesses for the reception of said tongues, hooks formed on said movable sections, a truss rod having its oppositeends connected to said hooks, and means for spacing said truss rod from said bar, .as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I here-unto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. CUMMINGS. Witnesses:

J. W. ANDERSON, J. M. GmsoN.

I comprising a bar. caps comprising a station- 

